Will Democrats Forsake Luckless Adlai?

June 29, 1986|By Steve Neal.

Can the Illinois Democratic Party make a switch in time?

With growing doubts about the third-party gubernatorial candidacy of Adlai Stevenson, more than a few prominent Illinois Democrats are talking about filling the vacancy at the top of the statewide ticket.

Following the Democratic primary in which two followers of political eccentric Lyndon LaRouche were nominated on the statewide ticket, Stevenson resigned his party`s nomination for governor to distance himself from the LaRouchies.

Since then, Stevenson has had little to be cheerful about. Although he gained points for principle in denouncing the LaRouchies, regular Democrats are worried that his third-party effort will jeopardize their chances in the general election.

Stevenson confided last week that his campaign is almost broke and his loss of the endorsement of the powerful United Auto Workers union is viewed as a major setback in his second attempt to win the governorship.

Republican Gov. Jim Thompson, seeking a fourth term, had been considered vulnerable before Stevenson`s embarrassment in the Democratic primary because of Thompson`s long tenure in office. In Thompson`s own polls, the governor has an unfavorable rating of 32 percent. Under normal conditions, a candidate with a negative rating of more than 30 percent is in political trouble. But Stevenson`s unfavorable rating is higher than Thompson`s.

So it is questionable whether Stevenson could make the general election a referendum on Thompson`s 10 years office. Whether speaking before empty conference rooms in Du Page County, acknowledging membership in an all-male club in Washington, D.C., or explaining to the UAW why he bought a Toyota, Stevenson has been making all the wrong moves.

Given his 1986 track record to date, some Democratic strategists are predicting that his third-party petition drive might fall short. He must obtain 25,000 signatures by Aug. 4. If he doesn`t get them or if they are successfully challenged, the former senator`s options for the general election may be closed.

Ald. Edward Vrdolyak (10th), chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party, already has suggested that replacing Stevenson on the Democratic ticket is a possibility. Vrdolyak and U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon have said that LaRouchie Mark Fairchild can be neutralized by passing legislation that would eliminate the office of lieutenant governor.

Former Gov. Dan Walker and Cook County State`s Atty. Richard M. Daley are being promoted as possible replacements for Stevenson. Either would be a more formidable challenger against Thompson than the luckless Adlai. As the state`s last Democratic governor, Walker is identified with the office and has indicated to friends a willingness to replace Stevenson. But he also is still unpopular with large segments of the Democratic Party and his selection would be controversial.

By contrast, Daley would be a fresh face in statewide politics. Some of Daley`s allies suggested last week that if Stevenson could be persuaded to fold his third-party candidacy, the state`s attorney would be willing to run against Thompson. As a new personality on the statewide political scene, Daley would be well positioned to capitalize on Thompson`s vulnerabilities. The Chicago Democrat has received high marks as a state legislator and state`s attorney. In carrying the Cook County suburbs in 1984, he showed strong crossover appeal to GOP and independent voters despite the Reagan landslide.

Although Daley insisted last week that he wasn`t interested in deposing Stevenson, some of his closer political allies were pushing Daley`s candidacy. State Senators Timothy Degnan and Jeremiah Joyce of Chicago think Daley could defeat Thompson in a one-on-one match-up. William Daley, the clan`s chief political operative, reportedly conferred with U.S. Rep. Dan Rostenkowski last week about his brother`s prospective candidacy against Thompson. Because of the Daley family`s friendship with Stevenson, some Daley allies were privately hopeful that Stevenson would throw in the towel.

Mayor Harold Washington, a key Stevenson supporter, might be receptive to a Daley gubernatorial candidacy if the state`s attorney took himself out of the 1987 mayoral race.

The Illinois Democratic State Central Committee has until Sept. 4 to name a replacement for Stevenson as the party`s nominee for governor. If Daley is nominated, Thompson could be in for a fight.